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Write a Letter to Your Realtor®

semoninblog — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 19:56:07 +0000

Have you worked with a Realtor in Kentucky? Have you been assisted by a Real Estate agent in Indiana? If you are working with or have worked with a professional at Semonin Realtors®, the answer to at least one of those questions is “Yes.”

Here’s what I’d like you to do. I want you to write a letter to your Realtor about anything at all that may be relevant to your relationship with them.

Do you want to brag on them about their real estate guidance?

Do you want to kindly suggest they change some of their real estate strategies?

If you don’t have a Realtor of your own, what would you write in a letter to a Realtor that you would choose to help you sell your home or buy your next home?

Here’s an example of a letter to a Realtor:

Dear Bill Realtor,

Thank you so much for your help in selling my uncle’s estate. You were very kind to my family as we were going through a trying time. You communicated with us nearly every day, even when there was not much news to tell. You encouraged us on ways to sell the home faster, but never pushed us too hard. You have been a faithful real estate agent and a loyal friend. Thank you again for taking care of my family. I will be certain to recommend you as Realtor to everyone I know.

Sincerely,

Henry Seller

Now it’s your turn. What would you like to write in a letter to your real estate agent?

How Do You Hire The Right Real Estate Agent?

Reynolds Bickerstaff — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:06:22 +0000

Most consumers, general speaking, do business with people they like. If you are new in town, and renting, you’ve probably met more real estate agents then attorneys. So how do you hire the right real estate agent? Should you select the first one that contacted you, the agent with the most experience, the one who is dressed well and drives the most expensive car, or the agent who specializes in servicing a type of property or consumer?

Everybody knows a real estate agent or REALTOR, so if I like everyone, who do I pick to represent me? If you could differentiate the agents from one another by their specialty, your decision would be very easy and logical. For example: I’m interested in buying land to use for recreation. Many agents are licensed in my market, but one agent only represents clients who buy and sell land. He specializes in land and is naturally perceived as an expert because of his focus or niche.

The average agent believes: to capture a large share of the market, I should design my marketing to appeal to everyone. We know that MASS APPEAL = NO APPEAL. As a consumer, your process for hiring an agent should be easy. Select the agent who has a clear advantage over the competition. Select the Specialist!

Why aren't Buyer's Loyal anymore?

Reynolds Bickerstaff — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 18:06:48 +0000

Many of the older generation agents, 55 and above, I speak with all say, “Buyers aren’t loyal anymore”. Well what happened? Did someone start a national campaign against REALTORS that de-values our services to Buyers? No, of course not.

They feel they’ve done all the work. Apps give buyers access to information at any location from multiple devices, and many buyers enjoy driving around past homes they’ve viewed online. NAR statistics show over 85% of buyers begin their search online, drive past the property, then contact an agent to schedule an appointment to view the property. Realtor.com, Truila, and Zillow are widely used and available on all mobile platforms.

Most Buyers don’t understand how we are compensated. As REALTORS, we assume everyone knows the answer to this question. However, uneducated Buyers now prefer to negotiate directly with the Seller’s Agent and expect them to reduce the commission, because only 1 REALTOR is a party to the transaction. Buyers need full representation, but they need to believe that we add value to the transaction, even though our fees are compensated from the Seller’s proceeds.

Finally, Buyers feel we don’t understand what they are looking for in a home. If you don’t have an open line of communication with your client, then you’ll never have a clear understanding of their wants, needs, and lifestyle. To truly understand your client, you need to know how they fell about moving into a new home, what they will do if they do not find a home in their desired time frame. These and other great questions are found on my Buyer’s Questionnaire.

A great friend of mine, Greg Herder, helped me create a Buyer’s Questionnaire several years ago. I have found over the years, that people who fill out the questionnaire, end up buying homes they love living in. If you helped a Buyer purchase a home that they love living in, what would that do for your business?

Do You Have Time For Property Management?

Reynolds Bickerstaff — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 15:07:01 +0000

Opportunity is knocking for many agents to manage property and they are jumping in head first. 8 out of 10 Sellers I meet with, hope to break even on the sale of their home, but most of them cannot afford to wait 6 months for their property to sell. So, we discuss the option of renting their property, refer them to the property management department and move on to the next appointment.

My business has always focused on Sales and I realize many agents are now managing 10-20 properties to supplement their income derived from Sales. However, in my market, Columbus, GA, the management fee received from managing 10-20 is equivalent to selling a $110,000 home each month. If your total sales volume is less then $1,320,000 per year, you should explore the benefits of managing a small number of rental units, but only after you have discussed this with your broker.

Do you have time for property management? Surveys of small business rank time as their most valuable asset. 1 in 5 small business owners will pay $500 for 1 extra work hour a day. How valuable is your time? Property Management is very attractive and lucrative, until it becomes a 24/7 business because the commode in the apartment 2 B overflows every Saturday night.

Generational Marketing "How to Catch the Boomerang Generation"

Reynolds Bickerstaff — Mon, 21 May 2012 13:52:01 +0000

To understand diversity, let’s review some interesting facts about the 5 generations of Real Estate.

The Greatest Generation (born before 1924) has seen 17-18 U.S. Presidents, 10+ Wars/Conflicts, The Great Depression, Multiple Recessions, and haven’t moved in 50 years.

The Silent Generation (born between 1925-1945), known as the artistic/adaptive generation, born during crisis, leaders of technological innovation, well educated and advocates of fairness. Members are Mick Jagger, Martin Luther King Jr., The Beatles.

The Baby Boomers (born between 1946-1964) Parents of Gen X & Y, grew up during a time of dramatic social change, are responsible for the “suburbs”, and may never retire.

Generation X (born between 1965-1982) MTV, video games, earn less then their parents, desire independence, first generation of divorced parents.

Generation Y (born between 1983-2000) Generation ME, Millennials, Trophy Kids, first generation to grow up online and known as the Boomerang Generation.

Everyone wants to attract the “First Time Home Buyer” but let’s look at Generation Y’s needs.

Positive Feedback and Support. They need constant reassurance that they are doing a good job
Part of a team. They grew up playing competitive sports and enjoy the playing field.
Communicate Rapidly. Wether it’s Facebook, Twitter, or Text Msgs, Gen Y is quick on the draw and rarely use email.
A longer attention span. Who doesn’t need one. Gen Y has grown up multi tasking.

How does Gen Y evaluate their purchases? Four distinct ways.

They don’t want to pay very much. They want to find the vendor that can provide them with the cheapest cost.
While searching for the best price, Gen Y’s have learned to appreciate quality.
Of course they want fast service
Gen Y’s want this process to be an experience

If my customer is Gen Y, how do I give them the “lowest price”, on a “quality product”, provide “fast service”, and create an “experience”? Pick up and read, “Socialnomics”, by Eric Qualman. Simply put, this book is about how to social media transforms the way we live and do business. (don’t know how to quote this)”Consumers are looking to peers for recommendations on products, services, health issues, and more via social media. Only companies that produces great products and services will be part of these conversations; mediocrity will be eliminated. Today, 76% rely on what others say, while 15% rely on advertising.”

Here are 3 keys to remember, if you want to earn Gen Y’s business:

Be authentic
Listen to them
Demonstrate your ability to communicate

If you will commit to earning their business, then ask yourself these 3 questions, before you start marketing to Gen Y:

How do I want to be perceived?
Do I provide a unique experience for my clients?
If I googled Me……..would I want to conduct business with myself?

I Googled My Real Estate Agent

Reynolds Bickerstaff — Tue, 08 May 2012 18:19:24 +0000

Are clients interviewing you, at your listing appointments? Being a member of the Circle of Excellence or Million Dollar Club will help you get the appointment, but what information will help you become the obvious choice? Make it easy for your clients to differentiate you from the competition by creating a bio that tells your back story and is engaging.

Lets look at Olympic Athlete LaShawn Merritt, who will compete this year for his second Gold Metal.

“I always think of my brother before every race. He never got a chance to see me run track. So here I am going for my second gold metal, being the best in the world and showing my talents and my hard work on a stage where millions will be watching, the pinnacle of track and field. So he’ll definitely be on my mind, definitely running with me in spirit and he’ll definitely be one of my top motivators when it comes to getting there and being confident and going out and getting it done and leaving it all on the track and having no excuses.”

It’s not the skill possessed by these athletes that makes them unique, they have same state of the art equipment or hi-tech aerodynamic jumpsuit. The “stories” differentiate them from one another, and the stories make the event more dramatic and moving.

So what’s your story? Is your bio a time line of your real estate career, in which you promote 25 years of service/experience? Or is it a list of all your 3 letter designations: ABR, GRI, CRS, SRS, PYT? You’ve got to create a back story that tells consumers what inspires you, what fires you up, what you are passionate about, or an adversity you overcame when the odds were stacked against you.

Before a client calls you to schedule an appointment, they have Googled you at least once. Heck, that’s how they probably found your phone number or email address. Have you Googled yourself lately? Would you pick yourself, based on your online persona & bio? These questions should be taken seriously. From Brand Harmony Steve Yastrow says, “consumers are taking ownership of brands and their referral is priceless.”

If you are stuck on describing yourself, hire a freelance writer to help you get started. However, if you really want to wow clients, hire Hobbs Herder. They have been helping real estate agents attract clients, with a personal brochure, for over 25 years.

Generate Traffic With Your Open Houses

Reynolds Bickerstaff — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:00:19 +0000

This weekend is the 2^nd Annual Uptown Loft Tour and is “National Open House Weekend”. We’ve been promoting the Loft Tour through billboards, posters, Facebook, Twitter, the local paper, email, and of course word of mouth. Several local restaurants are participating by offering samples of their specialties, along with other local businesses donating gift certificates and free bike rentals. If there wasn’t enough to do already, Uptown Columbus you can also attend Bash on the Banks and Market Days.

Open Houses can serve several purposes, but I like to use them as a means to build a community and promote the lifestyle benefits a homeowner will receive by living in a particular area. National Open House Weekend does mobilize real estate agents to hold properties open one weekend out of the year. However, it is not marketed well and the benefit to the public is not very clear. Buyers/Consumers admit they want to know WIIFM (Whats In It For Me), when making a purchasing decision.

By promoting the community and lifestyle, through a well executed open house, buyers are able to easily see WIIFM. When you plan your next open house, make it a community event, and your traffic will certainly increase.

Why Ninja Selling Works

Reynolds Bickerstaff — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:12:37 +0000

The education committee at my board office, made a significant investment in my business, by bringing Zan Monore to Columbus, GA. According to their website, Ninja Selling is “less about selling and more about helping people buy.” For many, Success and Change are difficult to see when the path is obvious.

4 factors make Ninja Selling Unique.

#1 Stop Selling! To be successful, you’ve got to stop selling and start attracting customers.

#2 Business Strategy/System. Creating a steady flow of customers, who you enjoy working with, gives you predictable results in any market.

#3 Customer Centric. “Treat others the way they want to be treated”. Ask the right questions and listen to your customers, then you are in a position to offer them a solution.

#4 Personal Mastery. It’s important to find a balance between your business and your personal life. If you are a poor manager of your time and energy, it will begin to show up in the marketplace.

The gap between the top 20% and the other 80% of real estate agents has widened further, over the last 4 years. The 80% will tell you its the economy or the market has been bad. However, the 20% will credit their continued success in a down market to systems, branding, and being focused.

I’m not a client of Ninja Selling, but their mission is simple: Increase your income per hour, increase your customer satisfaction, and improve the quality of your life.

Thank you John Scully and the Education Committee for introducing me to Ninja Selling.

www.ninjaselling.com

Make Yourself Priority One

Reynolds Bickerstaff — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:31:38 +0000

Our activities need to be placed in 4 different categories.

Personal or Non-Business Activities
Revenue Generating Activities
Non-Revenue Generating Activities
Personal Growth Activities

One way to be absolutely ineffective is to develop the habit of focusing on what you aren’t doing. When you take time to finish all of your revenue producing activities first, you will almost always figure out how to get your non-revenue activities completed. When you are at work, be at work. Don’t think about your vacation while you are at work, and don’t bring your work on your vacation.

However, when we place the non-revenue producing activities first, they end up eating our entire day and leave little to no time for revenue producing items.

According to James Michener, “The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him, he is always doing both.”

Coming July 31, 2010-Rhonda Knows Real Estate Blog

Rhonda Holt — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 20:53:47 +0000

Coming July 31st – My New Blog – Rhonda Knows Real Estate

Hello, I’m a full time top producing agent in New York and I will launch my new real estate blog on July 31st 2010. It will be loaded with the most popular real estate questions from buyers, sellers and real estate agents and I will have the answers to those qustions for you to read. I will also provide you with the latest market conditions, hot properties, great real estate stories and more.

For now check out my personal website at: http://www.RhondaHolt.com

See you in just a few more days with tons of real estate information that you can’t miss! Sign up now!

Coming July 31, 2010-Rhonda Knows Real Estate Blog

Rhonda Holt — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 20:53:47 +0000

Coming July 31st – My New Blog – Rhonda Knows Real Estate

For now check out my personal website at: http://www.RhondaHolt.com

See you in just a few more days with tons of real estate information that you can’t miss! Sign up now!